Building Material

One of English America's most iconic early colonial structures may have dodged a potentially disastrous cold-weather wrecking ball this past winter when near-record freezing temperatures caused new lime mortar joints to fail instead of splitting off large sections of what had been a cement-coated brick wall.

But not until the restoration team who carried out the work last year resumed their stabilization and conservation campaign a few weeks ago did the timeliness of their effort to save the endangered late-1600s Jamestown church tower become fully apparent.

"At first we were upset. You're disappointed when you see repair work that has failed," said Matt Webster,...

Related "Building Material" Articles

One of English America's most iconic early colonial structures may have dodged a potentially disastrous cold-weather wrecking ball this past winter when near-record freezing temperatures caused new lime mortar joints to fail instead of splitting off large...

When it's hot outdoors, it's hotter in your attic. A hot attic is bad for several reasons. High temperatures inside your attic shorten the life span of shingles. Excessive heat deteriorates items you store in the attic and can cause moisture problems in...

Some homeowners fearful of high hurricane winds damaging their residences believe they have found a solution.
They have opted to build circular-style homes manufactured by Deltec in Asheville, N.C.
Although Deltec's homes are often described as being...

Some homeowners fearful of high hurricane winds damaging their residences believe they have found a solution.
They have opted to build circular-style homes manufactured by Deltec in Asheville, N.C.
Although Deltec's homes are often described as being...

The single biggest visual element in a home is the floor. It sets the mood of a room and ties a space together. According to trend scouts, this year's line-up of new floor introductions could not be more warm and inviting. Here is a glimpse of what's...

Our Daily Press colleague who covers Hampton, Robert Brauchle, filed this report on Monday:
A Gloucester-based concrete company is building a plant in Hampton's Copeland Industrial Park.
Rappahannock Concrete Group’s new facility will include 10 to 15...

Pneumonia, flu and shingles all affect seniors disproportionately to the rest of the population. These vaccine-preventable diseases account for more than 50,000 deaths annually in the U.S., according to the Alliance for Aging Research in its newly...

Even in a region celebrated for its early colonial churches, old St. Luke's stands out from the crowd. No house of worship in English America reaches further back in time than this landmark 17th-century relic. And mixed in with the classical...

L.J. Kellam Construction, LLC is the first builder on Virginia’s Eastern Shore to achieve the Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification by the United States Green Building Council. The Platinum rating is the highest...

The Family Handyman offers 10 hints and tips that will make your holiday decorating faster, easier, as well as safe and fun!
Holiday light hangers: When hanging holiday lights, try attaching the wires with clothespins. This is a much easier method...

It's fall foliage time in the town of Sugarland.
As the weather turns cool and crisp, life chugs on — the dairy farm supplies milk to the sugar refinery so the bakery and candy shop can provide lots of sweets for Candy Cane Village residents. The town,...

The list for the Gloucester County Public School System's long-range capital plan runs 15 projects long. Here's the proposed list approved by the Gloucester County School Board, in order of cost, for the 2014-18 budget years.As a disclaimer, with the...

It's the night before Santa arrives and the house is as quiet as a Christmas mouse — except for the sounds of wind whipping through the attic and down the drafty chimney.
Maybe extra insulation and caulking should be on your holiday wish list.
"Air...

Until he actually stood in Michael Vick Hall outside Virginia Tech's football meeting rooms, David Wilson was convinced he was going to be the next Bo Jackson.
He can't put his finger on what changed, but Wilson's feelings about Tech and his future at...

They thought breast cancer was the worst of it. Then came the brain aneurysm.
But for Angela Leary and her family, the worst turned out to be something else entirely. Something that made the aneurysm, as their doctor told them, "the least of her...

The first collectors of North Carolina slipware may not have known much about their prey when they began snapping up "Moravian" pottery in the late 1800s.Neither did the museums that pursued it so avidly during the Depression.But like pioneering...

This informative, helpful article, "The energy producing and saving home," is written by Ben Cuker, professor of marine and environmental science at Hampton University in Hampton, Va. His solar-powered home is on tour Oct. 1-2 for the Hampton Roads...

Four years ago, Andrea Deagle spotted an old hubcap on the side of the road near her home in James City County.
Having watched "too many" DIY home-improvement shows like as "Trash to Treasure," she immediately saw potential in the wheel cover.
"I...